Decisions
by Annie0801
Summary: When Eric offered to help Tris resolve some of her sexual frustrations, the last thing she expected was for him to confess his love for her. Now that he has, Tris needs to think about her future and who she wants to spend it with. Rated M for lemons. AU. No War. OOC. All rights to Veronica Roth.
1. Chapter 1

**Tris Prior's relationship with Tobias had gone from sizzling hot to fizzling out. He spent a lot of time picking up extra shifts in the Control Room which left Tris alone most nights after her shift at the Tattoo Parlor ended. One night, she decided to go to the Pit for a drink to relieve her boredom and ended up drinking the evening away with none other than the cold-hearted, ruthless Dauntless leader, Eric Coulter. They developed a rapport and soon Tris became Eric's preferred tattoo artist. They spent many evenings together over the following weeks flirting with each other as Tris completed one exquisite piece of artwork after another on Eric. One night, after Tris finished up yet another beautiful tattoo on him, Eric made her an offer she couldn't refuse.**

He never tired of the site of her on her hands and knees in front of him. Eric grunted as he held onto her hips and continued to thrust in and out of her at a relentless pace. Tris met him thrust for thrust and mewled as he hit that special spot inside of her that only he could reach. He slapped her ass repeatedly until it was bright red. The stinging sensation pushed Tris that much closer to her climax. "Come for me, Baby. I want to feel you squeeze my cock." Eager for her orgasm to consume her, she obeyed Eric's command. She slipped her fingers between her soaking folds and began pinching her highly aroused bundle. It only took a few tweaks of her fingers before her body became engulfed in euphoria. Her walls formed a vice around Eric's dick first before they relaxed and began to flutter. Eric became rigid and grunted as his own orgasm pulsated through him, releasing his seed deep inside of Tris.

He slumped over her, wrapping one arm around her waist and holding his weight with the other so he wouldn't crush her petite body. They stayed that way until Eric finally softened and slipped out from her. He then rolled onto the bed and pulled her against him. Tris snuggled into his side and laid her head on his chest. They laid there relishing in the afterglow of another satisfying sexual encounter; Tris mindlessly played with his chest hair while Eric slid his fingers up and down her spine.

All too soon they were brought out of their blissful state by an annoying beep from Tris' phone indicating she had a text. She groaned as she pulled away from the warmth that Eric's body radiated. She already knew who the message was from before she even picked up her phone. Another groan escaped her lips when the sender was confirmed. She laid the phone down and rolled back into Eric's awaiting arms. "I don't want you to go." Eric said, already knowing she would still leave.

She pressed her lips to his and poured all the feelings she had for him into it. Their tongues danced together in perfect harmony. They only broke apart when oxygen became an issue. "I don't want to." She whispered.

Eric pulled Tris up until she was straddling him. He sat up and leaned forward until their naked chests were flush against each other. The feel of her hardened nipples pressed up against him made his cock twitch beneath her. Tris moaned at the feel of him hardening.

It was pure agony every time she had to leave him. "I'm tired of sharing you with him."

Tris cupped his face in her hands and pressed her forehead to his. Tears filled her eyes. "Eric, please don't make this any more difficult for me."

Eric conceded and nodded in agreement. "I'm sorry. I just don't know how much longer I can stand by and watch the two of you together. I want you with me. I want us to start a life together. I love you, Tris."

Tris jerked her head away in utter shock at his words. "You love me?"

"Tris…I-I-I…" Eric stuttered. "Fuck!" he growled to himself in humiliation at his confession of his feelings for her.

"Eric, I…I thought we agreed this thing between us was just going to be about having some fun together. It was just supposed to be about sex. I didn't think you wanted any more than that."

Eric cradled Tris' face between his hands. He sighed heavily trying to decide how to proceed. After a few moments he finally decided to no longer be a coward held hostage by his feelings for the beautiful woman in front of him. "You're right. That's what I wanted when we started our little rendezvous. And, honestly, fucking Four's girlfriend behind his back was an added bonus." Tris broke eye contact with him because of her guilt from betraying her boyfriend with his sworn enemy. "Hey, Tris, look at me." She refused to do so and tried to pull away from Eric's grasp but he refused to let her go.

"Look. At. Me." He commanded in his stern leader voice. Finally relenting, Tris brought her eyes back to Eric's as tears threatened to break though. Once Eric had her attention again, he continued. "But sometime during the last few months, I began to admire you for the strong, brave, confident, ass-kicking woman that you are. That admiration turned into love. I didn't plan for it to happen but it did. I love you."

Tris was rendered speechless. She never expected the ruthless Dauntless leader to have any feelings towards her other than lust. For months, she had suppressed her feelings for the man she was currently straddling. She had fallen in love with him too and had wanted more from their relationship but settled for what she could get. She believed it was better to have a few stolen hours of the most satisfying sex she had ever had than to have nothing at all with Eric.

The silence that fell between them was deafening. Eric took her silence to mean she did not reciprocate his feelings. He honestly didn't blame her. He was a cold-hearted and cruel bastard who did nothing to deserve the love of a good woman like her. When Tris finally opened her mouth to speak, he pressed a finger to her lips to hush her. He couldn't bear to hear her rejection. He rather that it be left unsaid. He cupped her face in his calloused hands and placed a chaste kiss to her forehead.

"You should get dressed and go. You don't want Number Boy to get suspicious."

He lifted her from his lap and crawled out of bed in a desperate attempt to leave the room before his own tears trickled down his face. He picked up his boxer briefs and slid them on before walking out of the bedroom to the kitchen.

Tris sat on the bed, stunned at what had just transpired between them. She didn't mean to make the situation awkward between them from her lack of response to his confession. When the shock had worn off and she finally found her voice, she was ready to confess her love in return to him but Eric had stopped her and all but told her to leave.

Feeling confused, Tris slowly rose from the bed and began the hunt for her clothes. She heard the refrigerator door open and a cap popping from a bottle. A few moments later she heard another cap popping and then another a few moments later. Eric's quick consumption of that many alcoholic beverages in such short time span had her extremely concerned. She knew he could hold his liquor but three beers in five minutes was a bit excessive, even for him.

Once Tris had found all of her clothes and redressed, she cautiously made her way to the living room and towards the door following Eric's request to leave. She hesitated briefly; she did not want to leave without clearing the air between them. Nor did she want to leave Eric alone as he was obviously drinking himself in a stupor. But her time to get home to Tobias was quickly fading. She also knew that trying to talk to Eric in his current state would only lead to an argument and she did not want to end the night with either of them saying hurtful, regrettable words to one another.

Just as her hand touched the door handle, Eric finally spoke. Desperately trying to keep his voice from wavering, he said. "I think it's best for everyone's benefit that we end this tonight."


	2. Chapter 2

Tris sat in the canteen the next morning eating breakfast with Tobias and her friends. She would look up, smile and nod at appropriate intervals during the conversation going on around the table but her thoughts of a certain Dauntless leader and the events from the previous night had her preoccupied.

 _Flashback_

 _Just as her hand touched the door handle, Eric finally spoke. Desperately trying to keep his voice from wavering, he said. "I think it's best for everyone's benefit that we end this tonight."_

 _Before Tris could voice her objection, Eric raised his hand to stop her. "You can't keep going back and forth between the two of us. It's not fair to me. It's not fair to you. And, I can't believe I'm saying this, but it's not fair to Number Boy either. After you walk out that door, don't come back."_

 _"You don't mean that."_

 _"Yes. Yes, I do. I'm fucking tired of having my guts ripped out every time you leave me and go home to his bed. I fucking want to throw his ass in the chasm every time I see the two of you together. I just can't do it. I can't and I won't share you with him anymore."_

 _Tris swiftly walked to Eric and wrapped one arm around his waist and cupped his face with the hand of her other arm. "Eric, I don't want to lose you."_

 _"I'm sorry Tris, but I've made my decision. It's over." Eric disentangled himself from her embrace and held her hands in his as he guided her towards the door, despite her protests. Once he opened it, Eric wrapped his arms around her and pressed his forehead to hers. "I will never regret our time together." He placed a lingering kiss upon her cheek. "Take care of yourself, Tris." He turned from her and then closed the door._

 _End of Flashback_

Tris was suddenly thrust back into the present when the canteen doors flew open forcefully, crashing into the walls behind. Eric's boots thundered across the concrete floor as he walked. Tris always found his domineering stature to be impressive. His demeanor commanded attention and respect, which he deserved as a leader and he got it too and rightfully so, in Tris' opinion. It was one of the things she loved about him not only as a leader but as the man she had fallen in love with as well. Although not everyone agreed with his manner or the methods he used to achieve it, including herself sometimes, he was impressive as a leader for his young age.

Eric's eyes scanned the crowd. They locked with Tris' eyes for a few moments longer than they should have, but moved on as he sought out the person he was looking for, Max. Tris couldn't help but return the half smile he gave her before looking away, thankful that no one seemed to notice, or so she thought.

Eric leaned down and spoke to Max for a few moments before he turned on his heel and walked out. Tris was saddened when he did not cast anymore looks her way before he left. She willed a single tear in the corner of her eye away so no one would notice her disappointment. However, it was quickly replaced by anger as she focused into the current conversation at the table.

"I see 'Sir Asshole of Dauntless' has another stick up his ass today. I wonder who managed to piss him off so early this morning." Christina spat out.

With disdain in their voices, her friends gave various reasons on what could have put Eric into such a foul mood. Despite all of their guesses, they were all wrong. Tris knew the truth; it was her. When Tris could no longer stomach to listen to their contempt for the man she loved, she spoke up with an equal amount of disdain in her voice.

"Maybe if you walked in his shoes for a day and had the burden of running an entire faction on your shoulders, you wouldn't be so judgmental. Maybe you would understand the reasons why he acts and does the things he does. You should all be ashamed for being so disrespectful to our leader."

Unable to comprehend why Tris would defend Eric against them, Tobias and Christina rolled their eyes while the other people at the table looked at her with gaping mouths. Tris stood up and stepped away from the table. She discarded her food tray and walked out of the canteen after casting them an annoyed glare. She desperately tried to calm herself down as she walked to the tattoo parlor to begin her shift. The last thing she needed was Tori jumping on the bandwagon with her friends about Eric.

As she walked by the chasm, she felt a hand on her elbow. She turned around and saw Eric nod his head towards an alcove. When they were out of sight, Eric wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his chest. Instinctively, Tris molded herself to his body. She felt safe in his embrace as his warmth and love filled every fiber of her being.

"Thank you for defending me to your friends." He pressed his lips to the top of her head and kissed her. Tris felt them linger there before he began to pull away. Desperate to hold onto the feelings flowing throughout her body, she refused to loosen her embrace.

"Don't go." She begged him.

"I don't want to Tris, but it's just too difficult being around you right now. Maybe in time we can get back to what we had before. Regardless of how I feel about Four, I'm going to respect you and your relationship with him. I just wanted to thank you and to tell you that hearing you defend me means more to me than you will ever know, even though I don't deserve it."

"You do deserve it, Eric. You are an extraordinary man and leader and you need to be treated as such. I will always defend you. I will always be on your side."

Tris raised her hand and cradled Eric's face. Eric closed his eyes and leaned into her palm, relishing her touch. Her words of devotion burned themselves into his heart. When Eric tried to pull himself from Tris' embrace she refused to let him go. "Kiss me."

"Tris, I can't."

"Eric, please. Just one kiss and I will let you go." She begged.

With a sad sigh, he relinquished his willpower and pressed his lips to hers. Eric was taken aback when Tris threaded her fingers into his hair and deepened the kiss by thrusting her tongue into his mouth. Despite his head screaming at him to pull away before it got any more intense, his heart won the battle when their tongues began dancing together in perfect harmony. Tris poured every ounce of love she had for the man before her into that kiss hoping to convince him to not end their relationship.

Unfortunately, it didn't work and too soon for her liking Eric pulled away from her. Tris could barely hold back the tears when she saw the painful look in his eyes. Before she could say a word, Eric pulled himself from her embrace and walked away. As soon as he disappeared from her sight, Tris fell to the floor and began to cry. When her body no longer heaved from her sobs, she texted Tori to tell her she couldn't make it in to work that day. Tris then proceeded to make her way to the rooftop, above the net, to think about her life.

 **Thanks to everyone who followed or favorited my story and for all the reviews. I didn't expect it to get such an overwhelming welcome. I love and appreciate your support. I hadn't planned on posting this chapter so soon but I couldn't keep you waiting. Unfortunately, it will be a few days before I have the next one ready but I promise I won't leave you hanging too long. BTW, I plan on bringing in one of Tris' friends who noticed the little exchange between Tris and Eric in the canteen but I can't decide who it should be or if they should be supportive or not. Let me know your thoughts.**


	3. Chapter 3

Tris sat on the ledge of the rooftop overlooking the net and contemplated her life. She was all but married to the man that she shared an apartment with for the last five years; yet she yearned to be in the arms of another man that made her feel more desirable and beautiful than she had her entire 24 years of existence.

Eric had confessed his love for her and his want to share a life together. Tris was certain beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was in love with Eric. For months, she had secretly fantasized about being in a real relationship with him. One that could blossom in the open and not concealed behind closed doors and shrouded by her shame of betraying her boyfriend.

Tris had always thought the feelings she had for Tobias was truly that of love. However, after being with Eric, she came to the realization that what she felt for Tobias was nothing more than that of comfort and familiarity because of their shared upbringing. Eric's touch made her skin feel a blaze which was something that never happened when Tobias would touch her. She never yearned for Tobias' touches like she did for Eric's.

 _Flashback_

 _It was after hours at the tattoo parlor. Tori had already closed the shop for the night but Tris had stayed late. She just finished Eric's latest tattoo and was cleaning up her work station while he began to redress. The two had been flirting shamelessly with each other all evening. Casual flirting was nothing new for them since they began hanging out with one another. However, tonight it had risen to an entirely new level which neither of them shied away from. The chemistry between them that night was undeniable._

 _Tris watched Eric as he began to button his shirt and couldn't help but appreciate his finely chiseled abs and sculpted muscles. Blush crept up her neck to her cheeks when Eric caught her watching him._

 _"_ _Enjoying the view?" he teased her._

 _Not wanting to show cowardice by denying her actions, she decided to embrace the Dauntless lifestyle she had chosen and to show bravery with her response. "Yes, I appreciate a fine piece of work when I see one."_

 _Intrigued by her boldness and reflecting on all the interaction between the two of them over the last few hours, he decided to reply to her with the same courage. With a smirk on his lips and a mischievous glint in his eye, he decided to make her an offer that he hoped she couldn't and wouldn't refuse. "How would you like a personal viewing in my apartment?"_

 _Tris sucked her bottom lip between her teeth and smiled as she considered his offer. Her eyes slowly raked up and down his body. Without giving a thought to anything, or anyone else, she nodded and accepted his offer._

 _The smirk on Eric's face turned into a full blown grin. When he finished buttoning his shirt, he extended his hand to Tris who did not hesitate to grab it. They left the parlor, fingers entwined with one another as they walked to Eric's abode. He punched in the entry code and opened the door, gesturing for Tris to enter. Before she could take in her surroundings, she felt strong arms wrap around her waist. "If you want to leave, I won't stop you." Eric whispered in her ear before he grazed his teeth over her earlobe._

 _"_ _I don't want to leave." Tris moaned from the sensation. "You promised me a personal viewing and I plan on holding you to it."_

 _Eric continued his ministrations as he kissed and nibbled his way down her neck to her collar bone. "Are you sure? I'm not going to stop once I start."_

 _"_ _I'm sure." She sighed, feeling her nipples harden under her bra just from his lips on her skin._

 _Tris turned in his arms and began to unbutton Eric's shirt. She returned his teasing by licking and gently biting her way from the bottom of his leadership marks all the way up to the top. Eric tightened his grip on her hips, which threatened to leave bruises, and groaned as she her mouth touched his skin. Tris threaded her fingers through his hair and pulled him to her. Fireworks ignited between them as their lips touched for the first time. Tris could feel Eric's erection when he pressed his body flush against hers and gasped at the feel of it against her._

 _Eric took advantage of her slightly parted lips and slipped his tongue between them. He was rewarded by the feel of her tongue massaging his with her own. He wound his fingers into her silky mane and gripped it tightly. They only pulled apart when their need for oxygen became too great._

 _Tris slipped from Eric's grip and took a few steps away from him. With her bottom lip pulled between her teeth and flashing him a sexy smirk, she slowly unzipped her sleeveless vest and let it fall to the floor while revealing a lacy, fire-engine red bra. Eric's pupils blew open wide with desire. Pleased by his reaction, Tris turned around and began searching for Eric's bedroom._

 _Once she found his bedroom, Tris turned, winked and motioned for Eric to follow her. Eric could only nod in agreement since he found himself speechless at the fact that Tris Prior was standing half naked in front of him and inviting him to join her in his bedroom. With quick strides Eric entered the bedroom and found Tris lying on her stomach and wiggling her sexy ass at him. She put up a hand to stop him as he approached the bed. With a wicked smile she said, "Not so fast, Big Guy. I'm still waiting for that private showing you promised me."_

 _With an equally wicked smile, Eric replied, "My apologies. I've been so rude. Please forgive me?"_

 _Tris shrugged her shoulders. "That depends."_

 _"_ _On what?"_

 _"_ _It depends on if I like what I see."_

 _Eric couldn't help but grin at her. "Don't worry, Baby. I guarantee you will."_

 _Tris rolled her eyes. "You're so cocky, pun intended."_

 _"Baby, you've never seen cocky until you've seen mine." Eric winked at the double meaning behind his words before he slowly approached the bed and kneeled down in front of it. He placed a soft kiss on Tris' lips. "Are you ready?"_

 _Tris eagerly nodded. Eric stood back up and proceeded to perform a striptease for her. He slipped a few buttons through their holes on his shirt before he gripped the opening and ripped it open, the remainder of the buttons flying everywhere. He then slowly turned around a few times, while flexing his muscles, giving her an up close and personal look at his extremely defined torso. He looked at Tris for permission to continue. She smiled and nodded for him to proceed._

 _Eric unbuttoned his trousers and with an achingly slow motion, he pulled down the zipper enough to reveal his V. He bent over, making sure Tris had a good view of his ass, and removed his boots. After he stood upright again, he moved towards Tris and offered for her to remove his pants. Tris crawled to the edge of the bed and sat on her knees in front of him. In one swift movement she pulled down his pants along with his boxer briefs. She licked her lips when his fully aroused erection sprung free from its confines. Eric managed to slide his pants off the rest of the way just as he felt Tris wrap her hand around his cock. He moaned when her warm mouth encased him._

 _Tris felt wetness pooling between legs as she moved his long thick shaft in and out of her mouth, swallowing when it hit the back of her throat. Eric could feel his orgasm quickly approaching and tried to pull out of Tris' mouth just before he came. She shook her head and refused to release him. She began to roll his balls in her hand and swallowed hard one last time before she heard him give a guttural growl and felt him his warm essence fill her mouth. She continued to swallow until he was finished then finally released him._

 _"_ _Fuck, Tris. That was awesome. My turn to pleasure you, Baby."_

 _Tris grinned at him before he gently pushed her back onto the bed. He slowly unzipped her pants and she raised her hips slightly so he could remove the object that was concealing the object of his desire. He was pleasantly surprised to find the matching panties to her bra. He wrapped his fingers under the fabric and ripped it from her body. He did the same to her bra. Tris pouted at him for ruining them. "I promise I will buy you a new set."_

 _Tris smiled at the fact that he would even make such an offer but her thoughts were interrupted when Eric's lips slowly moved down her body. He made sure to give adequate attention to her creamy mounds and hardened pink buds. Tris moaned as he bit than soothed them with his tongue. He continued his trek to his real destination and was pleased to find her core hot and dripping wet. He smirked at her just before his tongue swirled around her bundle of nerves. Tris wrapped her hand around his head to pull him closer to her as he continued to bite and lick her clit. She couldn't contain the moans escaping her mouth when he thrust two fingers into her and began furiously pumping them in and out. It didn't take long before Eric's name rolled off her tongue and the burning in her lower belly exploded. Eric lapped up her juices and thought he just might drown because she came so much. A smile graced his face as he decided he would die a happy man if he did happen to drown in a pool of her delectable tasting juices. Eric continued his actions while she rode out her orgasm. When she finally came down from her high, Eric sat up and pushed her legs apart and settled between them as he stroked his rebounded erection. He rubbed it between her soaking folds, using it as a lubricant, then lined himself up at her entrance. He looked into Tris' eyes one last time, making sure she still wanted this as much as he did._

 _"_ _Please, Eric. I need to feel you inside of me." she begged. Taking that as his cue, he buried himself inside of her in one hard thrust. He groaned at the feeling of being encased so deep inside of her._

 _"_ _Oh. My. God." Tris screamed at the delightful fullness she felt with Eric's cock inside of her. She had never felt so full or stretched before. "Eric, you feel so good." She pulled his mouth to hers and thrust her tongue into his mouth. "Fuck me, Baby." She told him. "Don't hold back. Show me how ruthless of a leader you really are. Give me everything you got!"_

 _"_ _Your wish is my command. Hold on tight." Eric said as he began to thrust into her hard and fast. Tris met him thrust for thrust. She managed to maneuver her hands to Eric's ass so she could push him deeper into her. He_ _crashed his lips to hers and soon their tongues where in a battle for dominance. He eventually relented to Tris when he could only focus on the feel of her hot core wrapped around him. "Fuck, you are so tight and warm. I love how your pussy feels around my dick."_

 _"_ _Mhmm." Tris moaned. "I love how your dick feels inside my pussy. Then, without warning, Eric pulled completely out from Tris. She whimpered at the loss of feeling him inside of her. Then before she could voice her objection, she grabbed her legs and flipped her onto her stomach. He grapped her hips and pulled them up so she was on her knees. He then thrust back inside of her and began furiously pounding away at her._

 _Tris felt her walls begin to flutter. "Fuck, Eric. I'm going to cum. Cum with me." As soon as the words left her mouth, Eric felt her walls clench down on him as her orgasm washed over her. He continued to thrust into her fast and hard as she rode it out. He then obeyed her command and finally gave into his own orgasm as he released his seed deep inside of her. Once he finished, he pulled Tris flush against his body, keeping himself buried inside of her._

 _Tris molded herself to him and nuzzled her face into her neck. Eric wrapped his arms around her and began tracing random patters on her stomach. Eventually Eric softened and slipped out of her much to both of their dismay as they both whimpered at the loss of connection between them._

 _Tris turned around to face Eric and they wrapped their arms around one another before flopping down onto the bed in exhaustion. "_ _I think I could get addicted to that sweet pussy of yours." Eric told her._ _The devilish smirk that graced Tris' face from his comment caused Eric's dick to twitch back to life. Tris gasped when he pressed his hardened erection against her thigh. "Ready for round two?"_

 _Tris wasn't about to pass up the opportunity to have sex twice in the same night for the first time in her life._ _"_ _Bring it on!" she said with a huge grin on her face_ _. With no more motivation needed, Eric crashed his lips to hers and thrust himself in side of her once again and began pounding away._

 _End of Flashback_

Tris returned her focus back to the present. She smiled at the memory because they ended up having sex three times that night. Tris thought of all the reasons, besides the incredible sex, why she wanted to be with Eric. Sadly though, it always ended with the one and only reason that was stopping her from doing so, her guilt of deceiving Tobias. He had been so good to her throughout all of the years they had spent together but yet all she had done in return was betray his love and trust for her. Despite her overwhelming desire to be with Eric, she could never hurt Tobias in such a way by leaving him, let along leaving him for his sworn enemy.

Tris looked up when she heard the scraping of the steel door against the roof. A smile graced her face at the sight of Uriah. With quick strides he walked towards her and sat down on the ledge beside her.

"Hey, Uriah. What brings you up here?" Tris asked him.

"I was on duty in the Control Room when I saw you come up here on the cameras. I wanted to talk to you during my break so here I am!

"What did you want to talk about?"

"I felt bad for making fun of Eric earlier in the canteen and I wanted to apologize. I should have been more sensitive about it considering your relationship with him."

Tris' heart began to race at the thought of someone knowing about her being with Eric. She tried her best to calm down before replying so that her voice wouldn't crack. She cocked her head at him and feigned ignorance. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"It's OK Tris. I know about you and Eric. You don't need to hide your relationship with him from me. Don't worry either, I haven't told anyone about it."

Tris felt her mouth become dry and she began to shake as her guilt washed over her. The flood gates opened and tears rolled down her cheeks. For the second time that day she began to sob, unable to respond to Uriah's comment. Uriah snaked his arms around her and pulled her to him as he tried to comfort her. "I've got you. Let it all out." He cooed to her as he soothingly rubbed her back. Finally feeling the guilt lifting, Tris' sobs eased enough that she could speak.

"How long have you known?"

"Ever since the night the two of you left the tattoo parlor holding hands and went to his apartment."

"Why haven't you said anything before now?" Tris asked as she continued to sniffle.

"Because for the first time, in a long time, you finally looked happy. I couldn't take that away from you. Four is my friend but you are my best friend and I know he hasn't been around much for quite a while. Granted, Eric isn't my favorite person in the world, but he seems to treat you well from what I can see and you look really happy. Besides, since you two have been together, he hasn't been as much of an asshole either. I figured that was good for the entire faction."

Tris laughed at the last part. "Thank you, Uriah."

"You're welcome. That's why I felt I needed to apologize to you. I'm really sorry Tris. I just got caught up in the conversation with the others."

"It's OK. I know people don't see the side of him that I do when we are together. He is so much different than the persona he displays to the rest of the faction. He is kind, gentle and loving with me. Please don't ever tell anyone but he actually likes to tell jokes and he has a great laugh."

"I love jokes! Maybe you can convince him to tell me some!"

Tears began to trickle down Tris' cheeks again at the thought of never being close enough to Eric again to be able to do what Uriah asked. "I wouldn't count on that happening."

Uriah noticed her sudden mood change. "What's wrong Tris?"

Tris shook her head, not wanting to answer.

"Does this have anything to do with the miserable look Eric had on his face a little while ago?"

Tris nodded her head. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself enough to speak. "He ended things between us last night."

"Why? What happened? Did you guys have a fight? Just give him a few days, Tris. I'm sure he will get over it."

"No, we didn't have a fight." Tris took another deep breath then continued. "He wants me to leave Four and start a life with him but I'm too much of a coward to do it."

"I'm so sorry Tris. I had no idea it had become that serious between the two of you."

"I only have myself to blame. Four has been so good to me over the years. I just don't think I can betray him any more than I already have by leaving him for his sworn enemy."

"Do you still love Four?"

"I will always love Four."

"I understand that. I meant are you still in love with Four?"

Finding her courage, Tris finally admitted aloud for the first time. "No."

"Are you in love with Eric?"

Tris bowed her head as guilt fell upon her once again over her lack of feelings for Four. Unable to deny it any longer, she answered Uriah's question. "Yes." She swallowed hard before she proceeded. "I thought I knew what being in love was with Four but what I feel for him is nothing compared to how I feel about Eric. With Eric, I feel a part of me is missing when we are apart from each other. I only feel whole and complete when we are together." A smile formed on Tris' face as she finally admitted her feelings. She couldn't hide the joy she felt when she finally confessed, "I am in love with Eric Coulter."

Uriah nodded his head in acknowledgment of her response. He thought long and hard about how to say what he needed to say to convince Tris to end things with Four but yet not reveal what he knew about how Four's been spending his time lately.

"Tris, you need to make yourself happy first and foremost. Do you want to be with Eric?"

"More than anything. I can't imagine my life without him in it."

"It sounds like you are choosing Eric."

"Yes, I choose to be with Eric."

"Then that is what you must do Tris."

"It's not that easy Uriah. I have Four's feelings to consider and..."

Uriah raised his hand as a signal to stop Tris before she could continue. "I know you don't want to hurt Four. I'm also not advocating that you go tell him you are leaving him for Eric either. I do, however, think you should sit down with Four and have a serious conversation about how your feelings for him have changed over the last few years. I suspect that Four may have similar feelings as you do about your relationship."

Uriah could see the wheels turning in Tris' mind as she processed his comments. He saw the proverbial light-bulb go off over her head. "Has Four said anything to you about our relationship? About not being happy?"

"No, nothing verbally but I've been watching his mood lately and, like you, he hasn't seemed happy for a long time either."

Tris sat there and contemplated Uriah's observation. Finally Uriah spoke up with some final words of wisdom for her. "Tris, you are as Dauntless as they come. It's time to start acting like it!"

Tris' eyes became wide as saucers and her mouth gapped open at the meaning behind Uriah's words. After regaining her composure, Tris stood up and before jumping off the ledge into the net below, she said "Thanks, Uriah. It's time for this coward to take control of her life."

Just a note to say Thank You for all the wonderful reviews and comments and favorites and followers. I'm glad you like my story. I'm sorry I haven't updated in so long. College and clinicals are kicking by butt this semester but spring break is approaching quickly so I'm looking forward to spending some time writing. I have one more chapter planned after this with a couple of surprises that I hope you will like. See you soon!

Thank you A600 and Felyneve for looking out for me and letting me know I had a publishing issue last night.


	4. Chapter 4

**I do not own Divergent. All rights to Veronica Roth. Thank you VR for creating such wonderful characters that we can have fun with. Here you go. The final chapter of Decisions. I hope you like Tris' decision.**

The day after his unplanned rendezvous with Tris in the alcove, Eric volunteered to oversee the overhauling of the guard system at the fence. He felt it would be good for him to gain some distance from Tris; not only to help him ease the pain of his broken heart but give Tris time to acclimate herself with Four again without the distraction of his presence.

Five months later, Eric returned from his assignment at the fence. On the ride back to the Dauntless compound, his mind was consumed by the thought of seeing Tris again after such a long absence. He cursed himself internally when he realized his love for Tris had not lessened over the last few months. If anything, he felt that it only grew stronger. He wondered how she had coped with his absence. Did she miss him nearly as much as he missed her? Eric felt guilty for not saying goodbye to her. He was too much of a coward to face her before he left. He was afraid if he saw her one last time, he would fall to his knees and beg her to take him back on any terms. But he refused let his weakness for her consume him any further so he just left without one word to her.

Eric prepared himself to face Tris' wrath when he returned. He knew she would be angry with him for not telling her he was leaving. He decided he would take whatever punishment she would give him. Eric prayed that it would be a fist to the face; he could live with that. The pain of it would fade quickly enough. He could not live with her shunning him from her life. He didn't know how he could live with that; being so close to her yet not being a part of her life.

Eric was brought out of his thoughts when he heard the truck engine shut off and the door opening. When he stepped from the truck, he was greeted by Max. They shook hands while Max praised Eric's work at being able to get the new guard system in place and functioning at top efficiency in such a short amount of time. It had been expected that Eric would be gone for up to a year. Max insisted on announcing Eric's return and giving him the recognition he rightfully deserved for a job well done. It was dinner time so they made their way to the catwalk in the canteen for the announcement.

As they stood on the catwalk, Eric scanned the crowd for the object of his desire. Soon enough his eyes landed on a young woman who had her back to him. Even though he could not see her face, he recognized the curves of her body, despite some thickening around her hips. Those curves were forever seared into his memory. He noted the woman's hair was much shorter than the last time he saw it, but there was no doubt in his mind that it was her, it was Tris, _his_ _Tris_. He stifled the moan in his throat but couldn't stop his pupils began from dilating with love, lust and want at the site of her.

Max called for everyone's attention. Eric noticed Tris tried to twist in her seat to look up at the catwalk but when she couldn't, he saw Uriah extend a hand, offering to help her stand up. Once she was on her feet, she turned and that's when Eric saw it; her hand laying against her rounded belly. Eric's breath caught in his throat, his mouth went dry. Tris was pregnant. He couldn't remove his eyes from the bump that protruded from her body until the movement of someone else caught his attention. Four had approached Tris to help her turn around. Eric was only brought out of his stupor when Max patted him on the shoulder.

When Max began to address the crowd before him, Tris lifted her eyes towards him and was rendered speechless at the site of Eric next to him. When their eyes met, she felt tears swell in her eyes. She smiled at him but Eric was too distracted by her pregnancy to return it. She tried to cover her stomach when she noticed his eyes focused on it. This was not the way she had intended for him to find out about the life that was growing inside of her. It was too late now however so she would just have to face him and deal with his emotions head on. Tris' attention was brought back to the present when the crowd around her began to cheer at Eric's return. Tris smiled at him again and clapped her hands in an attempt to show him how happy she was that he was finally home.

Eric felt tears threaten to break through but he used all of his willpower to keep them at bay. The ache he felt in his heart the last time he and Tris were together was nothing compared to what he felt at that moment. Although he had expected to find Tris and Four together in their relationship, it never occurred to him that they would take the next step and start a family. Suddenly all fantasies of reuniting with Tris turned to nightmares of her and Four cooing over their newborn child. Whenever Eric had dreamt of Tris holding a child in her arms, it was their child; a perfect blend of the two of them. When realization hit that his dream would never become a reality, Eric couldn't get away from Tris fast enough. He excused himself by telling Max he wanted to go home and clean up. Max nodded his head before Eric took one last look at Tris and made a beeline straight to the nearest bar.

Several hours later, Tris sat in Eric's apartment waiting for him to come home. After she saw him leave the catwalk, Tris made her way to his apartment, thinking he would head home after being gone for so long. She figured it was better to face him sooner about her condition rather than later. When she did not find him at home, she figured it would be a while before he returned, assuming he was getting shit-faced over his discovery of her pregnancy. Tris was relieved when Uriah had called her and told her he had found Eric on one of the camera's in a bar.

Tris threw open the door and sighed at the site of Eric, drunk beyond belief, slumped over Uriah. She helped Uriah take him into his bedroom. Once they had stripped him down to his boxer briefs and laid him down in bed, she thanked Uriah for his help and assured him she could handle Eric from there. Uriah wished her luck in dealing with Eric's drunken ass and kissed her on the cheek before leaving. Tris walked back to Eric's bedroom, leaned against the door jamb and just watched him sleep. She was concerned about how drunk he was, but yet she still felt happy that he was finally back home in Dauntless. She worried about finally confronting him with everything that was happening, but decided she would deal with that when he finally sobered up. She walked to the bed and crawled under the covers. She placed a tender kiss on Eric's forehead and then wrapped herself around him.

Eric awoke the next morning with a feeling of a jackhammer pounding away in his head. He managed to pry one eye open to find the time. It was three o'clock in the afternoon. He squeezed his eye shut again as he rubbed his head, groaning. His thoughts briefly turned to a dream he suddenly remembered. Despite the pain in his head, he smiled. He dreamt about Tris wrapped in his arms. However his smile faltered as reality came crashing down around him when he remembered seeing Tris in the canteen the night before, her belly round with Four's child. He tried, but failed, to keep tears from trickling down the side of his face.

"I was beginning to wonder if you were going to sleep through supper too. You've missed breakfast and lunch."

Eric jumped, not expecting anyone to be in his home. He immediately recognized the voice and lifted his head towards it. He groaned as a wave of nausea passed through him from moving too quickly. Despite his best attempt at keeping the contents in his stomach, it had a different idea. Eric sprang from the bed and ran towards the bathroom, barely making it to the toilet before expelling what remnants he had in his stomach. He relaxed at the feel of warm hands rubbing his back, soothing the pain from his gut-wrenching vomiting.

"You've got the dry heaves. Take deep breaths. It will help relax your gag reflex and ease the urge to continue vomiting."

Eric nodded his head and did as he was instructed. Soon his stomached settled enough that he could lean back against the wall. The cool tile felt refreshing as did the cool wash cloth that was being rubbed against his face, neck and chest. He gladly accepted the cold glass of water and slowly drank enough for his voice to return.

"Why are you here?" he asked in a gruff voice.

"Taking care of you." Tris replied as she continued to wipe him with the wash cloth.

"Thanks for your concern, but you should go home. I'm in no condition right now to fight Four if he finds you here with me."

"I assure you that you don't need to worry about that. Four will not be looking for me."

"What do you mean?"

"We will talk about that later. Right now, let's get you cleaned up and feeling better." Tris turned around on her knees and started the shower. "I will get you a fresh towel." She struggled to stand up from her protruding tummy.

Eric noticed her difficultly. "Let me help you before you hurt yourself and…your baby." The last two words threatened the return of the vomiting but he swallowed hard to hold it down. Eric managed to stand up and extended his hands towards Tris. She reluctantly accepted them knowing she would most likely but stuck on the floor without his help.

Once on her feet, Tris exited the bathroom to fetch a clean towel for Eric. By the time she had returned, Eric was already in the shower. She quietly slipped into the bathroom and laid down the towel. She then closed the door behind her and walked to the kitchen to start a kettle of tea.

Twenty minutes later, she heard the bathroom door open. When she walked into the bedroom she found Eric sitting on the edge of the bed with his head laying in his hands. She walked towards the bed until she was standing in front of him. She lifted his head from his hands and placed it on her belly then proceeded to gently massage his scalp in an attempt to ease the pain she knew he felt. It took Eric a few moments to relax against her when he realized where she had laid his head against her. But his longing to feel her touch again overshadowed his knowledge of what laid below and to whom it belonged and he wrapped his arms around her and began to nuzzle against her tummy.

They both lost track of how long they had been holding each other. They were only brought out of their blissfulness when they felt the baby moving inside of Tris. Eric unwrapped himself from Tris and stood up. He thanked her for taking care of him then and walked to the living room where he plopped down on the couch.

Tris sighed as she knew the time had arrived for them to talk about the situation at hand. She followed Eric out of the bedroom and detoured to the kitchen for their cups of tea before following him to the living room. She handed Eric his cup and sat down beside him.

After several awkward minutes of silence as they drank their tea, Eric finally decided to speak up. Although he was enjoying Tris' presence, he knew it would be better for them both if she left sooner rather than later.

"Thank you for the tea. I'm feeling much better now so I can take care of myself. There's really no need for you to hang around."

Tris nodded.

"Besides, I'm sure you must be exhausted from being up all night taking care of me. You need your rest and you need to take care of your…baby."

"I managed to get some sleep last night and a nap earlier so we're fine." Tris replied as she rubbed her belly.

Eric's dream popped to the fore front of his mind at Tris' comment. Was it really a dream or did it really happen? "Where did you sleep?" he cautiously asked.

"With you." She casually responded.

"That wasn't a dream?" he said more so to himself than Tris.

"You mean when you woke up, kissed me and told me you loved me then held me the rest of the night?" Tris asked. Eric nodded. "No, it wasn't a dream," Tris smirked. "I enjoyed every single minute of it and it looked like you did too by the shit-eating grin you had on your face when you fell back to sleep."

Eric face reddened at his inappropriate actions towards Tris. Although it is what he wanted more than anything else, he knew it was wrong given the fact that she was pregnant with another man's child. "I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to cross the line."

Tris sat her cup down before she stood up and moved in front of Eric. She sat down on the coffee table and took his hands in hers. "I'm _not_ sorry. And you didn't cross the line. You didn't do anything wrong. I wanted it as much as you did. I've missed you so much, Eric."

"I'm sorry Tris. I'm sorry that I was too much of a coward to say goodbye to you before I left. I…I just…"

"It's okay Eric. I'm not mad at you for not saying goodbye. I saw the suffering in your eyes the last time we were together. I don't blame you for leaving. I knew you would eventually be back. And now you are and I'm so happy."

Eric chuckled, relieved that he was not going to get a fist to the face considering the current pounding in his head. "I don't deserve a friend like you. You are too good for me."

"A friend? Is that all I am to you now?" Tris asked with sadness in her voice.

"No, Tris. You are so much more than that to me but if that's all I can have with you since you and Four are together, then I will be happy with just being your friend."

Puzzled by Eric's belief that she was together with Four, it finally dawned on her that maybe he hadn't heard about what happened between them. "I'm sorry Eric, I just assumed you had heard about what happened. Four and I are not together. We broke up."

"What do you mean you broke up? When?"

"The day I walked in and saw him cheating on me."

Letting Tris' words sink in, anger began to consume Eric. How in the hell could that son of a bitch cheat on someone as beautiful and special as Tris, especially when they are having a child together.

"He cheated on you? What the fuck? How could he do that to you?"

"Well, in all fairness, I wasn't being faithful to him either. It actually explained a lot about what was happening in our relationship when I found out how long it had been going on."

"What's her name? Who was he cheating on you with?"

Tris smirked at his question knowing the answer. She knew Eric would be just as shocked, as was the entire Faction, when she had found out who it was.

"It was a transfer from two years ago. I knew they had become friends, I just hadn't realized how good until I found them in bed together."

"Two years ago?" Eric struggled through the pain in his head to recall who was in the initiation class then. A few names popped into his head. He made an awful face as he thought how much Four had lowered his standards if he chose one of those hell hounds over Tris. "Is it that Amity transfer Meghan?"

Tris shook her head no.

"One of the Candor transfers? Melody? Katrina?"

Tris began to chuckle as she continued to shake her head no.

"Oh, God." Eric paused and wrinkled his nose as the thought of the next name on his list. "Please tell me it's not that girl with the wart on the end of her nose? The one from Euradite? I think her name was Candice?"

Even Tris had to make an awful face at the thought of that girl. Tris did not like to make fun of the way people looked but even she had to admit that unfortunate girl had been beaten with the proverbial ugly stick. Once again Tris shook her head no as she shuddered at the thought of Four being with that girl.

"Am I forgetting someone? I can only think of four female transfers from two years ago."

"It was the transfer from Abnegation." Tris answered, trying to hide the smirk on her face.

"Abnegation? That's impossible. You are the last female Abnegation transfer we've had."

"I know."

"I don't understand. How can she be from Abnegation then? The only Abnegation transfer we had two years ago was a boy named Samuel."

"He goes by just Sam now." Tris could see the wheels trying to turn in Eric's head. They were obviously being slowed down from the hangover he was still nursing. Tris wiggled her eyebrows when the answer finally came to Eric. His eyes widened like saucers.

"Are you telling me that Four cheated on you with Sam?"

Tris couldn't help but laugh at Eric's expression as she nodded in the affirmative to him. Eric was not opposed to same sex relationships, but it was just not something he was into personally. He was just dumbfounded at realizing that Four was in one. An image came to his mind as he replayed Tris' comments in his head.

"Wait. Did you say you _saw_ Four cheating on you with Sam?"

Tris again couldn't contain her laughter when she saw Eric's expression at the thought of her actually seeing them together. She decided to have a little fun at his expense. "Are you asking me if I actually saw Four's dick up Sam's a…"

Before she could finish her sentence, Eric placed his hand over her mouth. "For the love of God, Tris, please do not finish that sentence. I've already got a picture of it in my head."

Tris continued to giggle and Eric only removed his hand when she agreed not to finish her question. "The answer is yes, I did see them. And trust me when I say I know what you mean about having an image in your head. That is one that is permanently seared into my brain."

"I can't believe Four is gay." Eric states as he shakes his head trying to get the new information to sink in. "I just don't understand. He couldn't keep his hands off of you after initiation." Eric smirked as he wiggled his eyebrows. "How can he not want your gorgeous, sexy body? I could never keep my hands off those fabulous curves of yours."

Tris giggled as Eric gently tickled her thighs. "My 'fabulous' curves, as you so eloquently put it, are what turned him off. It apparently was my 'boyish' figure that attracted him to me. He got less interested as I began to mature into my body. If you've forgotten, I looked a lot like Sam when I first arrived here."

"He's an idiot." Eric proclaimed before they started to laugh again. Once they managed to regain their composure, Eric laced his fingers through Tris'. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that alone." His eyes lingered upon her belly. "What have you decided about the baby?"

Tris paused, trying to think of how to respond. The time had come to face the issue. "I'm hoping the father will want to be a part of his life. If not, then I will raise him on my own."

"Did you say _he_? Are you sure or are you just using that particular pronoun?"

Tris couldn't contain the smile on her face as he pulled one hand away from Eric's and proudly rubbed her belly. "It's a boy. I had an ultrasound done a few days ago to confirm it. I have a son." She took a deep breath before proceeding. " _We_ have a son."

"I just want you to know that I will be there in any way you need me Tris. I will be there for you 24/7. And if Four slacks in his responsibilities of being this child's father, you just let me know. I will whip him into shape."

After listening to Eric's last comment, Tris realized that he did not pick up on what she was trying to imply to him. "Eric, I don't think you understood what I was trying to tell you."

"What do you mean?"

Apparently Eric's hangover was affecting his cognition more than she had originally thought. Tris drew up another deep breath before explaining it to him.

"Eric, I didn't mean that Four and I are having a son." Tris paused letting Eric absorb what she had just said. Still not seeing it registering in his mind, she continued. "Eric, I meant you and I are having a son." Tris grabbed his hand, placed it upon her stomach then covered it with her own. "This is our child Eric. You and I created him."

Tris sat there waiting for Eric's reaction. She wasn't sure what it would be given his current state. Eric pulled his eyes from hers to look at his hand on her stomach then back to her eyes and back to his hand. His face remained expressionless which worried Tris. For the last few months since she found out about the pregnancy, she worried what Eric's reaction would be to it.

Eric cautiously moved his other hand and placed it on her stomach beside his other one. As if on que, their son began to move around again, like earlier in the bedroom, at his father's touch. Eric jumped at the unexpected action. He couldn't contain the smile that formed on his face. Tris was carrying _his child_. It was his child, not Four's. His dream had become a reality unbeknownst to him. Tears began to trickle down his face at the happiness that encased him at that moment. He felt Tris' fingers wipe them away but she couldn't keep up with all of them. Normally embarrassed to show a weakness like crying, he didn't even attempt to hide the sobs that came forth as he fell to his knees then wrapped his arms around Tris and laid his head on her stomach that held their child.

Tris couldn't help the tears of joy that fell from her own eyes at the feel of Eric's embrace and the sight of his acceptance of their child. Her fear of his rejection finally falling away, she returned his embrace and wept along with him. She squeezed him even tighter when he proclaimed his love to her.

"I love you, Tris. I love you so much. Thank you. Thank you for giving me the greatest gift I could ever hope for. I love you." She felt him pull up her shirt to expose her growing belly. Eric placed lingering kisses all around her belly as he caressed it. "I love you too, my son. I will always protect you and your Mommy until the day I die. That is my promise to the both of you."

"I love you too Eric." Eric raised his head and looked into Tris' eyes. It was the first time she had ever confessed her love to him. "I love you Eric. I'm so sorry I didn't say it our last night together. I had been in love with you for months before you said anything. I just never in my wildest dreams expected you to feel the same way. I was just too much of a coward to end things with Four and I hurt you so badly. I'm so sorry Eric. Please forgive me?"

"Baby, there is nothing to forgive. I was just as much of a coward as you were when I left for the fence. Can you forgive me for not being here to help you deal with your breakup with Four?"

"Eric, there was nothing you could have done even if you had been here. It was something I had to do on my own. And I just want you to know that I had already made my decision to leave Four when I found out he was seeing Sam. You need to know that I chose you over Four because I wanted to be with you, not because I ended things for him cheating on me."

"Thank you. Thank you for choosing me over Four. You will never know how much that means to me. I love you so much, Tris."

"I love you too Eric. Our son loves you." Tris shook her head trying to finish purging her fear of Eric's rejection from her heart and mind.

"What is it, Tris? What's wrong? Talk to me, Sweetheart."

"I-I was just so afraid that you wouldn't love me anymore when you finally came home. That you wouldn't want anything to do with our son. I was so afraid I ruined his chance at having a relationship with his father because I was a coward."

Eric stood up and picked Tris up bridal style and carried her to the couch. He sat her in his lap and tried to console her as she cried. "It's okay, Baby. I'm here. You didn't ruin anything. I'm not sure how it's even possible but I love you more now than before I left. And just so you know, even if things wouldn't have worked out with us, I would never abandon our child. I can't explain it, but I've only known for a few minutes now that I'm going to be a father yet I already love this little guy so much. Is that crazy or what?" Eric chuckles.

Tris leaned up from Eric and pressed her lips to his. It was a kiss filled with their love and passion for one another. I need of oxygen, they finally pulled apart. "It's not crazy. I fell in love with our son the moment they told me I was pregnant. I can't wait for him to be born and hold him in my arms for the first time."

Eric smiled at Tris as he thought the same thing. The day their son would be born. Then it hit him, he didn't even know when that would be. "When? When will he be born? I don't even know how far a long you are. I'm a terrible father already. I don't even know when my son will be born."

Unable to contain her giggle at Eric's rambling, she placed her fingers on his chin and so he would look her in the eyes. "You are not a terrible father. You didn't even know I was pregnant until yesterday so how could you be expected to know my due date. It's in three months by the way."

Eric placed his hand on Tris' stomach. "Three months? He will be here in three months? That doesn't give us much time to get everything done."

"We have plenty of time Eric. Besides, I already have a crib and a few clothes picked out. I'm still trying to decide on a theme for a nursery. I was hoping you would help me with that." Tris proceeded to place her own hand on Eric's as she snuggled up against him as he continued to caress her stomach.

Suddenly a loud rumbling sounded through the room. Eric gave Tris a puzzled look. Tris shrugged her shoulders. "I think our son is trying to tell us he's hungry."

"When was the last time you ate?"

"I had a snack just before you woke up."

Eric gave her a stink eye. "Did you skip breakfast and lunch because you were here taking care of me?"

Tris gave the stink eye back to Eric. "Are you kidding? You must not have seen me eat yesterday in the canteen." Tris smirked. "Trust me when I say I eat enough for 10 people. There is no way this little guy lets me get away without eating."

Finally convinced that Tris was telling the truth, Eric rolled her off of him and helped her from the couch. "Do you feel well enough to go to the canteen with me?" She asked him.

"I'm feeling much better. Actually food sounds good. But we have to make one stop first then we can go eat." Eric slipped his boots on and tied them then proceeded to help Tris with her shoes when she whined that she could get them on.

After Eric helped Tris put her jacket on and they left the apartment, she questioned him about the stop they had to make on their way to the canteen. "Where are we going, Eric?"

"Max's office." He replied as he laced their fingers together.

"What do you need to talk to Max about?"

Eric brought Tris' hand to his lips and placed a kissed on it as they continued to walk. Ever so casually he answered her. "A marriage license."

 **There you go. I hope you are happy with the ending. I'm thinking of doing an epilogue if I get enough requests. Thanks for reading my s** tory.


	5. Epilogue

Epilogue

Eric held true to his word and married Tris the next day. Tris did not object to the small intimate ceremony with just them and Max and Uriah as their witnesses. Even though Tris had fully embraced the Dauntless lifestyle, she still could not shake her discomfort of being the center of attention. Eric was more than happy to comply with her request of a small wedding since he too preferred to keep special moments, such as marrying the woman of his dreams, privately to himself.

They spent the next three days in Eric's apartment celebrating their marriage the only way they wanted to...lots and lots of incredibly mind-blowing sex. They christened every surface in Eric's apartment that they could. They had to come up with some creative ways to satisfy their carnal needs because of Tris' growing belly. Eric was more than happy to try some new positions, some of which he loved. He hoped he would be able to convince Tris to add them to their repertoire of their favorite positions even after she gives birth of their son.

Needless to say the entire faction was in a state of shock when they went public with their relationship for the first time after their impromptu honeymoon. Complete chaos erupted with Tris' friends when they not only found out that she had married Eric but that he was the father of her child.

Tris had refused to tell anyone the identity of her son's father until she had the chance to tell Eric first. She did not want news of her pregnancy reaching him at the fence before she could talk to him about it. The only person who knew the truth was Uriah because he had accidently discovered their relationship. Tris swore him to secrecy and Uriah did not let her down. He grinned proudly to himself for not leaking the secret before Tris told her other friends the news.

Unfortunately, some of Tris' friends did not take the news well. Her already strained friendship with Christina blew to hell in a handbasket. Christina could not understand how Tris could become involved with the very man that tried to kill her. For years Tris and Will tried to get Christina to understand the real purpose of Eric's behind him hanging her over the chasm, but she could never comprehend it. So when she found out that Tris and Eric were married and were having a child, she shut Tris out of her life once and for all. Since Will and Christina were married, ultimately Will had to end his friendship with Tris as well. Being married herself now, she understood the need to support one's spouse so she did not blame Will for choosing to side with Christina.

Tris was never that close with either Lynn or Lauren so they were indifferent about Eric and things between them remained the same. Zeke was upset at first because Eric was one of his least favorite people in the faction but after listening to Uriah's viewpoint, he eventually accepted their relationship and became friends with Eric. Eric agreed for Tris' sake since she viewed both Uriah and Zeke as brothers. Shauna followed Zeke's lead since they were dating and tried to accept Eric as a friend as well.

Other than Uriah, Four was probably the least upset about the news of Eric and Tris. When Tris and Four ended their relationship, it was a mutual decision between the two of them. Neither harbored any feelings of ill-will towards each other considering they had both been unfaithful in their relationship. In the months following their break-up, Tris and Four were able to become friends like they had before they started dating. Tris eventually told Four that she was glad that he found someone like Sam to make him happy since that is all she ever wanted for him. Upon hearing Tris' announcement of marrying Eric, Four returned the sentiment she had given him and wished both her and Eric the best of luck in their new endeavors.

As for Eric, he only had a handful of people that he was close enough to and trusted to consider as friends. They, of course, welcomed Tris as one of their own. They could see the positive influence she had on Eric and thought it changed him for the better.

Page Break

The next three months prior to their son's birth, were just as busy as Eric had predicted. Eric had requisitioned for a new four bedroom apartment. The Euradite that remained in Eric had him thinking of future expansions to their family. Because of his status, his name was moved to the top of the waiting list. A couple of weeks after his request, he was given keys to a newly remodeled apartment unit with a breath taking view of the city skyline. Eric spent the next two weeks painting the entire place to Tris' specifications. Then with the help of old and new found friends, he moved both of his and Tris' possessions into their new home.

One particular trip between apartments took longer than expected due to Zeke and Uriah getting the couch wedged in the stairwell. Eric left Four and Sam in the new apartment to finish painting a mural on the wall in the nursery while he went to help Zeke and Uriah. Eric was the first to return to the apartment and had the misfortune of walking in on Four and Sam naked and frolicking in the paint. He now shared the same vision as Tris when she had found them together many months ago. Eric claimed to have seen nothing as he haphazardly stumbled out of the apartment with his hand over his eyes just in time to keep Zeke and Uriah from experiencing the same image. Unfortunately for Zeke and Uriah, they still got to witness Four and Sam in all of their naked glory as they forgot to dress before they followed Eric out of the apartment profusely apologizing for getting caught. Fortunately for everyone involved, they were able to look back on the incident many years later and enjoy a good laugh about it.

After Eric finally got all of their possessions moved into their new home, Tris spent her days off from the tattoo parlor unpacking and getting the nursery ready. It wasn't long before the first of many nesting phases set in. People used to make fun of Eric's OCD but it turned out to nothing compared to Tris when she was in her nesting phase. She was ten times worse than Eric but he never complained and did whatever it took to make her happy about cleaning and organizing their home for the baby's arrival.

Tris and Eric had decided on a jungle theme with exotic animals for the nursery. It was painted a light gray with mint green and yellow accents. They had also finally settled on the name Liam Eric for their son.

Tris began to glow only as an expectant mother could. Eric decided he liked Tris being pregnant when her sexual desires kicked into overdrive. He gladly gave into her every demand when it came to having sex. Wherever, whenever and however she wanted it, he happily complied. Eric never even complained when Tris had a craving in the middle of the night and woke him up to go fetch whatever her stomach desired no matter how exhausted he might be. There wasn't anything he wouldn't do for his wife and child.

It seems as though Eric's son inherited his father's sense of humor. Liam decided it would be funny to pull a joke on his parents by fooling them into thinking he was coming early. One night Tris woke up with the worst cramp she had ever had in her back. She laid there thinking it was from the spicy food she ate but the waves of pain kept coming at regular intervals. Tris tried to calmly wake Eric so as to not push him into a panic from the prospect that Liam was coming sooner than expected. Eric had become so protective of the two of them so she feared his reaction to Liam being born too early.

As predicted, Eric flew into a complete panic. He barked orders over the phone to prepare a car and driver to take them to the hospital. Threats of torture and death followed each of his commands as additional motivation to make sure everything was ready when they arrived to the garage. Eric grabbed Tris and Liam's bag and proceeded to carry her the entire way to the car despite her protests.

By evening of the next day they were back home sans a baby. It turned out Tris was experiencing Braxton Hicks contractions and Liam remained safe and secure inside of his mother's womb continuing to grow. Needless to say, Eric refused to let Tris' leave his sight until Liam was born.

Over the next few weeks, Tris and Eric disagreed about the environment for Liam's birth. After the false labor scare, Eric insisted that Tris give birth at Euradite's hospital because they had the best doctors and most current technology in the event something went wrong. Tris hated the idea of their child being born in such a sterile and unwelcoming environment and insisted upon their original plan of a home birth with a mid-wife. She wanted Liam to feel safe, secure and loved when he was born and felt that giving birth in their home was the best choice. The parents-to-be were in a stalemate, neither refusing to budge on the issue.

A week before Tris' due date, she managed to stage a disappearing act with the help of a couple of friends. She refused to tell Eric where she was and threatened that she wouldn't come home until after Liam was born unless he gave in to her desire of a home birth. Having already missed so much of Tris' pregnancy, he did not want to miss the birth of his first child so he relented and reluctantly agreed to her demand. Within the hour Tris returned home with a smirk on her face because she got her way.

Liam's due date came and went. Tris was not too worried since she was only able to narrow down his conception date to a 7 day span. Apparently Liam was conceived when Tobias had left the compound for a week to update security cameras around the city. Eric took the week off work and he and Tris took advantage of Four's absence. Needless to say, they didn't leave Eric's apartment the entire week.

Eric on the other hand had become a nervous wreck, constantly worried something was wrong when Tris' due date passed. Once again, Liam decided to have some fun with his parents and refused to make his entrance into the world until five days later. Tris was once again woken during the middle of the night with cramps. She did not get too concerned until her water broke. Expecting Eric to go into another panic since it was the real thing this time, Tris was pleasantly pleased when he remained calm and began to time her contractions. He helped pace her breathing when the contractions came and rubbed her back to help soothe the pain. However, Eric's patience did not last long. His ruthless Dauntless leader persona erupted when he called the mid-wife and was promptly informed that he should call her back when Tris' contractions were less than five minutes apart. After several threats of bodily harm and becoming Factionless, the mid-wife grudgingly agreed to Eric's demand that she come immediately.

Sixteen hours later, Eric sat on the edge of their bed holding his son in his arms as Tris rested. He beamed with pride at the tiny baby wrapped in a blue blanket. Just as Eric had dreamed once, Liam was the perfect blend of himself and Tris. Tears of joy trickled down Eric's face as he held Liam against his heart and reflected on his life since Tris came along. Just three months ago his heart ached painfully from the loss of the only woman he ever loved. Now his heart ached for a different reason; it ached from the overwhelming love he felt for his wife and son. He never imagined his once cold heart would be able to love anyone, let alone two people, as much as he did Tris and Liam. Nor did he ever imagine that one day he would hold a child that he created. For the first time in his life, Eric felt complete fulfillment. He vowed at that moment that he would never take his wife and child for granted and they would always be first and foremost in his life.

Eric couldn't imagine his life being any better than it was at that moment. He, however, was wrong. It only became better as he and Tris continued filling their four bedroom home. Three years after Liam was born, Tris gave birth to another son they named Ethan. Then much to their surprise, two years later they were blessed by the birth of twin girls – Ava and Mia.

Eric and Tris had their hands full raising four children but they loved every moment of it. In the end, three of their four children chose to remain in Dauntless with their parents. Ethan decided to transfer to Abnegation as his selflessness overshadowed his love of Dauntless. Although Eric and Tris desperately missed him, they were comforted in the fact that he was with Tris' parents, Andrew and Natalie, and that they would take good care of him.

Liam grew up and followed in his father's footsteps and chose leadership when he passed initiation. Eric was proud that the Coulter name would continue to burn strong in the guidance of the Dauntless faction throughout the forthcoming years. Liam eventually found love too. She was a dark haired, mocha skinned woman with the most amazing celery colored green eyes. It turns out Liam fell in love with the only child of Will and Christina, a daughter named Avery.

Eric and Tris couldn't be any prouder in their son's selection of a wife. They loved Avery dearly. Will had done a wonderful job of raising her, given the fact he was a single parent. Sadly, for Avery, Christina ended up becoming Factionless. Her hatred toward Eric for taking Tris away from her, in her mind, drove her to the brink of insanity in combination of postpartum depression. Despite Will, Tris and the doctor's best efforts, they could not save Christina. One day she disappeared when Avery was less than a year old. She was eventually seen living among the Factionless and refused to return to Dauntless when Will finally found her.

The twins turned out to be known as the Daring Duo of Dauntless. Ava and Mia had inherited their mother's fearlessness and their father's fierceness and sense of humor. With such a combination, they never backed down from anything; they never refused any fight, dare, or obstacle thrown their way. After passing initiation, they chose to be Initiate Trainers. For those who remembered Eric's days of training initiates and thought he was a tyrant, they were proven wrong when his daughters took over the position. Ava and Mia were even worse than their father when it came to training the future members of Dauntless. They felt it necessary for the preservation of the faction that only those who truly fulfilled the Dauntless manifesto become members so they pushed the initiates even harder to weed out the weak.

Eventually Ava and Mia married and much to everyone's surprise, their respective husbands both originated from Amity. It seems Ava and Mia needed the patience, kindness and understanding of their husbands to help balance them out like their mother did for their father.

Eventually Eric was elected as Head Leader of Dauntless when Max retired. Upon his promotion, Tris left the tattoo parlor and took a position as Eric's advisor. With Tris' guidance, Eric led Dauntless to become the strongest it ever had been and its members thrived under Eric's leadership. After many, many years Eric and Tris finally retired from their roles as leaders. Liam was elected to take over his father's position and his wife Avery filled Tris' position as advisor. Eric and Tris' retirement finally allowed their life to slow down just enough to have their alone time together but yet still left plenty of time for them to enjoy spending their remaining years with their children and grandchildren.

 **I hope you enjoyed the ending. I had a lot of fun writing this story. Thanks to everyone who stayed with it during my long intervals between chapters and thanks for all the wonderful reviews and support for the story. Eris forever.**


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